I thought that was an amazingly straightforward and useful answer. In truth, I also think it was a bit of a kiss-off. I try never to tell anyone what my practice consists of because, the moment I do, it will feel like I just signed some kind of binding agreement—and for no compensation at that.

Still, it is interesting what people practice; and how much latitude there is in the interpretation of just what that practice means. Do you always practice your forms? But in what way? Do you try to spar every session? How intensely? How much time do you spend on basics averaged out over a year? I’m convinced that practice becomes more and more valuable the more it matches itself to the player, sort of like that favorite pullover sweater you have finally broken in.

As we practice we also become much more creative with what each practice means. We reframe things to suit us. Someone might do weapons exclusively for the weight training. Over there is a guy who has been practicing the exact same punch for over an hour; and boy is he working up a sweat. Then, just across the floor, is a student just barely waving his hands, approaching his form more like a memory exercise than a whole-body engagement.

Our motives are often hidden or sometimes just idiosyncratic. “Hey, John, how come you’re doing standing practice and not sparring.” “Because I broke my damn foot!” May come the tranquil response from the immobile student.

There are a hundred ways to practice. I think that amazing thing about martial practices is that they never run out. Everything we do, just about, feeds into our Grand Central experience and incorporates itself into our living memory. The very flexibility of practice shows us something valuable as martial arts, that there are endless strategies and a world of tactics.

What practice FEELS the best? Is it the old stand-by or something new and, can we even say, exciting? Are your practices powered by a sense of exploration or more a sense of accomplishment. And of course some times they can be both or neither.

I used to grill my brown belts when they attained that rank. Even though I was working in a “commercial” system I couldn’t help myself. I would take them into the office and ask them, “What was your main reason for starting this training?”

The person who had just blasted his way through a brown belt test would have to stop and think about that. Often they would say something like, “Self Defense.”

“How do you feel about your abilities and knowledge now? Are you pretty secure on that issue?”

Most of the time they would say, “Yeah, sure. I’m feel pretty good about that?”

“Then why are you here?” And then the jaw would drop. After a few minutes stumbling I would just encourage them to re-evaluate their motives for studying. I wanted them to come back on their own terms. There is a truck load of imitative behavior in the lower ranks, as there should be, but once they reached brown or above I wanted them to own more of their practice. Usually it worked, when it didn’t they just went back to plastering the bag with side kicks… and nothing was lost.

Feng Zhi QIang's funeral march

With sadness we announce the death of Taijiquan master Feng Zhi Qiang who, through his authoritative teachings and creative efforts shared his art with thousands of people. Born in 1928 he passed on May 5th, 2012. Another master closes his door.

Unlocking a form's possibilities

John Ottenberg, chief instructor of Streetwise Protection, offers an OPEN SEMINAR unlike any done in this area.  Mr. O. will teach the primary form he learned directly from the creator of the Limalama style, Mr. Tino Tuiolosega. John’s relation with “Pop” was unique, rarely given to most martial artists. He was an “in-door” house student, spending up to eight hours a day directly under Pop’s watchful eyes. Slowly he learned and perfected movements.

John learned from Pop that forms were a code, not to fool or confuse people but for reasons reflecting the nature of true martial training. He discovered that this code could be read and, just knowing the function of the movements, was a crucial step in the direction of real knowledge.

John Ottenberg, 5th degree black from Limalama

How do you fight a form? What is the point of this series of moves, and why that transition next? How do you transform natural movement into explosive power?  These questions will be the focus of John’s workshop, where he will use the powerful “Soft One” to reveal deeper usage.

And bring your own! John will conduct an open session at the end where participants will get the opportunity to decode the forms they practice daily.

Our seminar is of course aimed at promoting more interest, enthusiasm and appreciation of formal martial sets. John Ottenberg is particularly adept at demonstrating the more sophisticated meanings hidden in our forms.

Workshop: How To Fight a Form, John Ottenberg
When: Saturday, May 12, 2012
Time: 1:30-4:00
Place: The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts, 1570 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz 475-1429
Price: $45.00 (Special price for any Plum customer (past or present): $35.00

Our next three seminars, set through July, will offer three famous forms of Qigong: Blossoms in the Spring, Taoist Qigong and the Five Animals. Later scheduled seminars include The Bagua Animals and the Shaolin Bandit Knife.

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A few days ago, we added a great series of Xin Yi Liu He DVDs. Now, we are happy to announce the return of one of our favorite books on the same subject.

Chen Tai Chi

Chen Tai Chi: Lao Jiao Form (Part 1) – DVD#25010

Chen Tai Chi: Lao Jiao Form (Part 2) – DVD#25011

Pao Chui-Cannon Fist Chen Taiji – DVD#25014

Chen Chin Na-Joint Locking  – DVD#25018 (Chen Taiji part 6)

Chen Tai Chi Chuan Advanced Long Form Parts 1 & 2 – DVD#25034

Chen Tai Chi Chuan Advanced Long Form Parts 3 & 4 – DVD#25035

Chen Tai Chi Broadsword – DVD#25050

Click to see

Produced in the first half of the 20th century, we have two more offering from the Taiwanese publishing and collector’s house: LionBooks. You might call these old texts Long Arm and Longh Leg. We have an early edition of the famous Tan Tui set which we have never offered (and very old drawings) and one of the first books on TongBei (Through-the-Back) style. These traditional texts are themselves part of Kung Fu’s history and struggle and worth a look just for that.

Oh, and before we forget, we’re trying to do our bit to preserved Kung Fu. We have just sent off our re-mastered version of Marcus Brinkman’s Bagua San Shou  Fighting, unavailable for some years now. Should have this popular, back-listed DVD in any day now.

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I have to admit it. I like Xing Yi, but I love Xin Yi Liu He. Perhaps it is the obvious predatory energy held in every posture. Perhaps it is the unexpected dynamic symmetry of the actions. It certainly is not a prettified face or a painted performance. XYLH was a virtually hidden style for many years and now it is being preserved and practiced by an unusual group: namely people who know what they’ve got. We finally have enough XYLH to cede it a page of its own. About time.

Resources:  A little about XYLH

My question: Am I wrong, or would books/videos be able to give the proper grounding without me ending up doing the entire thing incorrectly without knowing?

Thank you kindly for your time and I look forward to your reply,

RB, USN

Dear RB,
We learn concerts by Mozart and mathematics enough to build bridges, all by book. I definitely believe one can get a good grounding from “book learnin’ ” but there are a few approaches that might help:

1. At least get your hands on someone to talk to, ask a few questions. The more you practice, right or wrong, the more prepared you will be for those precious moments when someone has something real to tell you.

2. Don’t pay very much attention to youtube, bulletin boards and such founts of misinformation.

3. Don’t strain much. There’s a lot that can be learned just be trying to be natural, unhurried and persistent.

4. Use your military thinking brain, the internal styles are for strategists as well as tacticians. Chinese martial arts, even more than Japanese, addresses body management and decision making. Always practice like you could change things in an instant, because as you get better it will probably be to your advantage not having “locked into” any certain shape or movement.

5. Read a little, just a little, about the ideas and beliefs herein. Just a taste can help direct your practice greatly…

I hope this helps.
Thank you for your service for our protection and well wishes,
Ted Mancuso

(Chinese Text)

Certainly one of the most conscious martial artists of his generation (Yes, Tiffany, there are some) Adam Hsu long ago took on the unrewarding task of reconciling a lot of stupid martial misconceptions and misinformation with an art of protracted history and great complexity.

Click here.

This is the book, by his own words, which may alienate him from others in his field. This is his personal notebook, a collection of pithy observations and some frank truth-telling. Though the same voice throughout, it jabs at the subject from many angles. Some give telegraphic insights into technique and proper Kung Fu goals…

Intent is extremely important; for example, when a punch striking someone in the pit of the stomach hits its target, the flesh has already accomplished its purpose, and my force naturally stops. This must be joined with my mind, and act in conjunction with the idea to penetrate the body. When I deliver focused strength, I must not allow the contact to interfere with my intent, or it will break off, or perhaps abate. Trained ability can produce penetrating strength, “to fight gallantly and win glory.”

Some are insightful, simplifying and worth some thought…

 Chinese martial arts applied to real combat, and other world famous approaches, are not the same thing. This matter is extremely subtle. Not only is it a long story but, furthermore, we should try to avoid just an armchair discussion. We have no alternative but to describe its different principles, which can be 1, 2, 3, or 4 key points. This makes it simple to remember: (1.) action attack and defend; (2.)  words leak and seal; (3.)  doors protect, interact, break; (4.)  Methods point, thread, plane, and reverse: these are the basic words.

Many are comments on the relation of real life and real fighting to classical martial arts, a passionate and painful subject to this scholar. All this is not to mention how good Adam is as a writer which, as unexpected as a turnip on Mars, confuses people. For instance, the following…

Actual combat technique—when a serious attack comes—is not theoretical, not “self defense,” but destroy  the enemy.

On the one hand you can hear from the guys taking a break from destroying some roughhouse sparring; but if you think about it for a second you realize that he is not so much saying you have to be ruthless to fight (not much of a shock) but that “self defense” is, essentially, bunk (which it is.)

Worth buying and having. If you are practicing Chinese, nice compact sections run rarely more than six lines long. Adam Hsu says of himself that his “brush is frayed and his ink muddy” at this time in life, but we find his strokes strong and hope to see more in this vein …

Ted Mancuso and Debbie Shayne

No, this is not a picture of our newest Water Style Kung Fu…

This is a picture of us at the Santa Cruz wharf, after our lunch celebrating the arrival of our newest publication, Learning Bagua Zhang: The Martial Art of Change. We actually took an afternoon off, watched the seals congregate and gambol in large pods at the end of the pier, and generally played local tourists before the actual tourists arrive.

We’ve already written about the book on this weblog (here, here and here) so I’ll just say that, if you have been waiting, the books are now available. And, who knows, you may get a signed copy! Click here to order

Click here.

Lots of good things coming this month … First among them is our newly published “Learning Bagua Zhang: The Martial Art of Change” by Ted Mancuso. We were just informed that the shipment will arrive any day and we’re excited, so much so that we decided to give a generous discount for orders before it drops on our doorstep: Regularly $24.95, pre-order $19.95. (book is now here!) The aim of this book is simple: to show you how to build a foundation in Bagua that will last your entire practice-career. Ted put a lot of his decades of teaching experience into making the mini-course an experience of its own, following in the pattern of our popular “Bagua, the Art of Change” DVD. We have crammed this book with do-able patterns and what we consider core practices to help all those people out there intrigued by one of the great martial arts of China: Bagua Zhang.

Click here

Chuang Tzu , living almost 2500 years ago, was what we might today term a monk. He was certainly an iconoclast. Thomas Merton was not only a monk but an advocate of the proposition that those who are inching towards the source of sacredness were brother and sister, monks and nuns regardless of official dress and doctrine. He sees a kinship with Chuang Tzu, to our benefit.

If we consider the two great names of Taoism: Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu, we can compare Lao Tzu’s book, The Tao Te Ching, to the Old Testament for its serious sagacity. In that case Chuang Tzu can be likened to the New Testament for its parabolic parables.

Chuang Tzu, idler, humorist, story teller and fantasist; seems like the kind of philosophy teacher we all would like to have encountered in school, a cross between Santa Claus and Mahatma Gandhi. Beloved for centuries, his stories give us the flavor, tone, fragrance and feel of Taoist practice.

Thomas Merton, a Catholic monk, did not translate these tales, he transplanted them into his consciousness. Reading four major translations then relying on help from Dr. John Wu, Merton created a sort of impressionistic poetry and somehow caught much of Chuang Tzu’s lively joy and engaging humor.

He does us one great service, that of honestly proclaiming… “This book is not intended to prove anything or to convince anyone of anything that he does not want to hear about in the first place. In other words, it is not a new apologetic subtlety (or indeed a work of Jesuitical sleight of hand) in which Christian rabbits will suddenly appear by magic out of a Taoist hat.”

Because of Merton’s honesty in presenting his subject, we are allowed to sit in the shade with the sage himself, Chuang Tzu—the first Taoist figure we can confirm historically to have lived—walked through a time of classic Chinese thought: 550 to 250 b.c.e. This bore an era, paralleling the west, of philosophical contention among Confucians, Moists, Hui Tzu’s logic and the pain/pleasure principles of the Legalists.

Here are a few stories from this beautiful little hardbound edition:

 “The Need to Win”

When an archer is shooting for nothing
He has all his skill.
If he shoots for a brass buckle
He is already nervous/
If he shoots for a prize of gold
He goes blind
Or sees two targets—
He is out of his mind !

His skill has not changed. But the prize
Divides him. He cares.
He thinks more of winning
Than of shooting—
And the need to win
Drains him of power.

“Means and Ends”

The gatekeeper in the capital city of Sung became such an expert mourner after his father’s death, and so emaciated himself with fasts and austerities, that he was promoted to high rank in order that he might serve as a model of ritual observance.

As a result of this, his imitators so deprived themselves that half of them died. The others were not promoted.

The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten.

The purpose of a rabbit snare it to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten.

The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten.

Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to.

“The Turtle”

Chuang Tzu with his bamboo pole
Was fising in Pu river.

The prince of Chu
Sent two vice-chancellors
With a formal document:
“We hereby appoint you
Prime Minister.”

Chuang Tzu held his bamboo pole
Still watching Pu river,
He said:
“I am told there is a sacred tortoise,
Offered and canonized
Three thousand years ago,
Venerated by the prince,
Wrapped in silk,
In a precious shrine
On an altar
In the Temple.

 “What do you think :
Is it better to give up one’s life
And leave a sacred shell
As an object of cult
In a cloud of incense
Three thousand years,
Or better to live
As a plain turtle
Dragging its tail in the mud?”

 “For the turtle,” said the Vice-Chancellor,
“Better to live
And drag its tail in the mud.”

“Go home!” said Chuang Tzu.
“Leave me here
To drag my tail in the mud!”

Taoism is sinless and guiltless and therein can rise the rub for many people. But, as Chuang Tzu makes clear with his wonderful little stories, it is also painless. Highly recommended especially if you want a pleasant and clear introduction to one of the world’s great philosophies.

Push Hands   (Part 1) – #DVD 25024

Yang Ban Hou Tai Chi – 81 Movement Form   (Part 1) -DVD #25053

Yang Ban Hou Tai Chi – 81 Movement Form   (Part 2) -DVD #25054

Yang Jian Hou Tai Chi – 81 Movement Form   (Part 1) – DVD #25055

Yang Jian Hou Tai Chi – 81 Movement Form   (Part 2) – DVD #25056

6 Harmony & 10 Animal Hsing-I Chuan(Part 1) – DVD #25009

Dragon Pa Kua Chang   (Part 1) – DVD #25012

Taoist Eight Immortals Sword – DVD #25013 

Bear and Eagle Fight  (Part 2) – DVD  #25019

Dragon Pa Kua Chang   (Part 2) – DVD #25021

I love to teach the guard stance because it brings the students’ minds into focus on the whole idea of self-defense. The guard stance is so basic that almost anyone can lift her or his hands and do a fair imitation of it, even with little training.

But to a seasoned eye, the difference between good and bad in a guard stance is as great as between Picasso and pizza. Here are a few thoughts about the position. You might already know all this but it’s a good list to help you re-establish the fundamentals of self protection.

1.      The guard stance is neither here not there. It’s not just about guarding your self. It’s also about taking it to the other guy. The guard stance should give you the perfect blend of defensive postures and initiation mobility. This seems obvious, but if you cover up too much and shrink too tight you might as well ring a bell before you switch into attack mode.

2.      Hide behind the weapon. In fencing it is quite clear: you keep the sword between you and the opponent. A guard stance has to put the threat of reprisal out there in the face of the opponent. Not only is this just common sense, it is enough to make the opponent think twice about entering the fight line. That hesitation may make up for any initial jump he might gain on you when entering the line. It is essential that all direct routes are blocked or at least obscured. Remember that third of a second he takes to realign himself is all you need for your reaction time.

3.      The guard stance is a fun house mirror. Nothing your opponent sees in your guard stance should be quite right. In commercial art we called this, “Out of drawing.” Not something terrible, just wrong enough to make you itch. That big open invitation between your arms is a bit askew, sort of like a corridor in the Mystery House. Experts never show a direct, authentic way through their defense without wanting to. It might be a taunt but it’s not a mistake. Just to get a quick taste of this, look right into the mirror for a few minutes and you will automatically find yourself getting “shifty” about what is exposed and what is covered. The guard stance always lists a bit.

4.      A guard stance is not vision dependent. When it comes to empty hand fighting I tell my students they should have four hands; their two normal ones and their elbows. When the opponent punches low you don’t drop your hands. You don’t look down. You simply sense the angle of his low attack and adjust accordingly. After all, it’s the stance that should be doing the work, not you. If you find you have to move your hands like a cross-eyed bandmaster, or that every attack by your partner forces a spastic, skittering over-reaction, it’s time to clean up your stance and start relying on senses besides sight.

5.      Lazy is best. The idea of the guard stance is to do as little as possible. If a slight move away works, the deal is done. It is not always intuitive what this means. Sometimes a wise double parry can be more efficient than a small, sharp block. The situation decides.

6.      Don’t contradict yourself. There’s a little psychological dependency we all have ingrained in us. It is the need for closure. We see an arm and have to block it. You have to overcome this to really master defense. If you move away and make him miss, don’t go messing it up by blocking, too. I have literally hundreds of pictures of fighters in tournaments blocking punches and simultaneously getting walloped in the face or body. The problem? They backed up to a successful distance then instinctively had to reach in and finish making contact with their block despite everything. Back to instinct: it’s flight or fight, but try to pick just one at a time.

Our duplicator tested our Master copy and found no problems with it, credits this problem to a rare glitch, and has sent us a new batch of DVDs. So, if you purchased one of these in the last three months, click HERE to send us an email and we will send you a fresh replacement.

P.S. By the way, our duplicator, Denver Disc (denverdisc.com), is really a great company and this is the first time in all the years we have been with them that we have had any problems. If you are looking for someone to do a great job with your own DVDs, we highly recommend him. David is the owner…tell him Plum sent you!

P.P.S. We’ve now heard back from a few of you who also received our emails on this subject, saying they had noticed the problem but didn’t want to bother us. Be assured that we ALWAYS want to know if an item is defective and will replace any that fail out of the box. Unfortunately, DVD technology is not perfect and a bad disk will pop up here or there.

Is the mud stepping in Liang Shan the same as it would be in Cheng style Bagua? There is the young female Bagua master on youtube who gives some brief introductory lessons on mud stepping, as I believe it is called.

Dear RP,
The Cheng style mud stepping relies a bit more on the sliding/landing step than the Liang. Because their stride is large, Cheng stylists are less concerned about the rear heel peeling off the ground. They allow this, especially when they are walking rapidly.

The essentials such as keeping the weight back, the spine erect and the waist directing the movements are all about the same, though.
Yours in the arts,
Ted Mancuso

Nonetheless, here is the band of survivors (click the pictures to see the reviews):

Chen Fa Ke’s Taijiquan Practical Combat

Wu (Hao) Style with Zhai Wei Zhuan

Xing Yi/Bagua Linked Palms for health & defense- SC 132  By Song Di Lei 宋狄雷
OOOOOps! This one is already gone again! All copies sold overnight. Sorry…until next time?

Shaolin Evil Demon Staff- SC 313 by Mao De

And in English, this classic, “Questions and Answers on Tai Chi”.